I think this is an Oto but wanted to ask to make sure! thanks in advance.

Ostara

12-13-2010 12:34 PM

Definitely not an oto. It looks like maybe a Chinese algae eater to me, but I'm not certain.

sik80

12-13-2010 01:12 PM

agree with Ostara

Egrant

12-13-2010 02:19 PM

Should i be giving him algae waffers along with my Cory's?

britnyjackson

12-13-2010 04:57 PM

That third pic is great!! Cute fish!

Byron

12-13-2010 06:14 PM

1 Attachment(s)

To me it seems to be a member of the Chinese Algae eater group; possibly Gyrinocheilus aymonieri though it does not look like the ones I have seen in stores. I did find the attached photo online from a Russian site [sorry, can't read Russian] with the same scientific name. I would have thought a different species, but... .

These fish can get large, and aggressive.

Byron.

Romad

12-13-2010 09:02 PM

Not-o! Agree with the CAE.

Egrant

12-13-2010 09:54 PM

Well Byron thanks for the research! Altough you have helped me out quite a bit i am now starting to lose the faith..... no translation on the Russian! LOL!! Thanks guys

I think he is indeed the cinases algae eater. from what i can tell he is better than a Pleco. all pleco in the past seem to get "comfy" and "lazy" in the tank and stop working after a couple months. they just get bigger and poop ALOT. This guy is always cleaining. i have not had to wipe anything down since i got him. And the Tropical Fish Profiles suggest he might be aggressive but i have not seen that at all!

Christople

12-13-2010 10:12 PM

YAH FOR NOT AN OTTO oops forgot cap lock

Byron

12-14-2010 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Egrant
(Post 534081)

Well Byron thanks for the research! Altough you have helped me out quite a bit i am now starting to lose the faith..... no translation on the Russian! LOL!! Thanks guys

I think he is indeed the cinases algae eater. from what i can tell he is better than a Pleco. all pleco in the past seem to get "comfy" and "lazy" in the tank and stop working after a couple months. they just get bigger and poop ALOT. This guy is always cleaining. i have not had to wipe anything down since i got him. And the Tropical Fish Profiles suggest he might be aggressive but i have not seen that at all!

The trouble comes later. When young, this species is fairly consistent at algae eating, but as it matures it will eat less and less and eventually none at all. It attains 6+ inches, and gets nasty with other bottom fish and sometimes those higher up. It can also be messy in the waste department. I think most of us would recommend getting rid of it sooner rather than later.

The Otos are excellent residents as they do not get large (depending upon species they vary but the common species remains under 2 inches), never aggressive, and remain good eaters of common green algae throughout their lives. A good algae eater that is unusual is the Farlowella, but make sure it is the small species, Farlowella vittata [in our profiles]. The so-called "Royal" Farlowella are a different group of fish and get large. Whiptail cats (Rineloricaria species, two are in the profiles) also eat algae though not as vigorously as Farlowella and Otocinclus. Then there are the Bristle Nose or Busy Nose plecos, also good algae eaters (again only the common green in most cases) but can get larger depending upon species.

Oto should always be in a group, at least 3 in a tank, they are very similar to corys and need the companionship of their own. Farlowella do fine singly or as a trio [mine spawned several times this year, there is a thread on that elsewhere]. Pleco tend to be better alone, they can be territorial with their own, but in larger tanks more than one if OK.